The Michigan Wolverines ladies’s basketball group has had a sizzling begin to their season. Now at 4-0 after beating Birmingham 120-50 at residence on Tuesday evening, they burst onto the top-10 on the Related Press (AP) ballot this week. It’s their second-highest rating in program historical past, and the primary time they’ve been ranked this excessive since they have been No. 6 in February of 2022.
And with their core consisting of a trio of sophomore expertise, all of whom have improved from their freshman season, Michigan could have to get used to its top-10 rating for the following few seasons.
Specializing in this season, AP voters are clearly seeing the enhancements Michigan has made. The group began the season ranked thirteenth within the nation, have been bumped down one spot in week two, however made the most important soar in week three, going from 14th to sixth. This got here off a dominant 93-54 win over No. 24 Notre Dame final weekend, after Michigan received their first two video games in opposition to Canisius and Harvard.
This group has massive potential to be the reason for a late-season upset, and ought to be on the radar of anybody following potential Large-10 match favorites or NCAA match darkish horses. This isn’t only a sizzling streak — it’s the results of meticulous group constructing, wonderful recruiting, and a bunch of hard-working gamers with a whole lot of expertise.
Tremendous Sophomores Olson and Swords
ESPN ranked Michigan’s 2024-25 freshman class the No. 8 greatest recruiting class that yr. With No. 4 Syla Swords’s dedication, she grew to become this system’s highest-ranked prospect in historical past, and Michigan adopted that up by touchdown No. 20 Olivia Olson. In addition they introduced in four-star prospect Mila Holloway, and the trio created a point-guard/shooting-guard/ahead lineup that has turned out extraordinarily nicely for the Wolverines.
As a sophomore, Swords already has extra worldwide basketball expertise than a whole lot of her friends. As a highschool senior, Swords performed in Olympic qualifying tournaments for Staff Canada, ultimately making their roster for the Paris video games in 2024. She grew to become the youngest particular person to ever signify Canada in basketball on the Olympics, and headed into her freshman NCAA season already an Olympian. In between her freshman and sophomore seasons, Swords spent the summer season again with the Canadian program below newly minted head coach Nell Fortner. She performed important minutes in each the Ladies’s AmeriCup match and the U19 World Cup, however sat out of Canada’s U23 GLOBL JAM match after a busy offseason.
Swords averaged 9.6 factors, 4.9 rebounds, and a couple of.6 assists on the AmeriCup, capturing 41.9% from three-point vary over the match — serving to Canada to a Bronze medal end. A number of weeks later on the U19 World Cup, she averaged 15.9 factors, 6.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists per recreation, capturing 43.6% from distance — the Canadian group lacking the rostrum in a two-point loss to Spain, coming 4th within the World.
Olivia Olson completely shone in her freshman season for the Wolverines. She averaged 16.3 factors, 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals per recreation, capturing 46.6% from the sphere and 38.3% from three-point vary. These numbers earned her the Co-Large Ten Freshman of the Yr award, and together with Swords, she was chosen for the All-Large Ten Second Staff and Large Ten All-Freshman group.
She’s already leveled up in yr two as nicely, main Michigan in all 4 video games. She is averaging 17.8 factors per recreation this season, at the same time as she hasn’t needed to play heavy minutes. Her 16.3 factors per recreation final yr have been in 30.8 minutes per recreation, and this yr she has solely performed 22 minutes per recreation. Swords is averaging 12.3 factors per recreation this season, capturing 47.6% from the sphere.
A giant take a look at forward in Connecticut
Michigan is getting loads of alternative to gauge its true potential throughout its non-conference schedule, which can come in useful when dealing with Large-10 opponents quickly. The Wolverines’ greatest take a look at of the complete season is coming early, as they put together to face No. 1 UConn on their residence court docket in Connecticut this weekend.
UConn has two of the most effective gamers within the nation, fellow sophomore Sarah Robust and redshirt senior Azzi Fudd, main their seemingly unstoppable group. If Michigan could make an influence on this powerhouse group, will probably be an enormous confidence booster for the Wolverines, as even simply competing with UConn is an indication of formidability in ladies’s school basketball. On the flip aspect, Michigan could be the most important problem UConn has seen this season thus far. They might additionally find yourself being one among their greatest challenges of the yr.
Olson should discover a solution to get previous Robust, who’s averaging 3.3 steals and a couple of.5 blocks per contest in 4 video games thus far this season. Robust is nice sufficient to be on a WNBA group proper now, at the same time as a university sophomore, and having the ability to rating despite her will probably be Olson’s greatest process.
For Swords, outshooting Fudd is the aim. In Michigan’s recreation in opposition to Notre Dame, Swords took three fast pictures from lengthy distance within the first half, however wasn’t making them within the second half. She’s been slowly growing her output as she’s performed extra video games to begin the season, and bringing herself as much as the numbers she was capturing in the summertime for Canada will carry her nearer to Fudd’s present 46.2% capturing from behind the arc this season.
Whereas this recreation dangers Michigan’s undefeated streak, dealing with a group like UConn early within the season will make the Wolverines harder. They’ll have movie in opposition to the most effective group within the nation to reference when getting ready to face Large-10 rivals like UCLA and USC. Most significantly, understanding the hard-working nature of this Michigan group, together with their willingness to study and get higher after exhausting video games, this UConn match will make them higher.
It may all culminate within the Wolverines changing into a significant March darkish horse.
